Marketing Triggers: How to Inspire Thoughts of Your Brand | iContact

There’s no helping a boring product earn word of mouth, right? After all, it’s not like people enjoy talking about car insurance.

Actually they do, writes Jonah Berger. The author of “Contagious: Why Things Catch On” says every brand can earn word of mouth by understanding and using marketing triggers.

And as you will see later in this post, the right marketing triggers have even made people happy to talk about car insurance.

What are marketing triggers?

Each day, the average American says something positive or negative about an organization, brand, product or service in 16 conversations.

“This kind of social talk is almost like breathing,” Jonah writes. “It’s so basic and frequent that we don’t even realize we’re doing it.”

So why do people buzz about certain products more than others? The most talked about brands are consistently at the top of people’s minds.

Often what keeps these brands top of mind are “triggers,” everyday sights, smells, sounds or activities that elicit thoughts of your brand, product or service.

The best part for marketers? These thoughts do more than create conversation, they lead to action, Jonah writes.

See how brands use triggers and how you can, too:

1. Use dictates word-of-mouth

The more you use a product, the more people will talk about it. That’s why Cheerios gets more word-of-mouth than Disney World, Jonah said in a presentation to Google.

A study showed that mentions of Cheerios peaked at about 8 a.m. on weekdays and a little later on the weekends before tapering off the rest of the day. Why? That’s when people eat or crave cereal, making it top of mind.

Takeaway: If people use your products or services at a certain time of day, week, month or year, have a social media team ready to respond. You can provide better support, engage with satisfied customers and even learn how your customers perceive your brand.

2. Link your brand to something relevant

Fill in the blank: peanut butter and __________. Nearly everyone would say “jelly” because it’s peanut butter’s most famous counterpart.

Brands often associate themselves with an event or place, hoping that it can inspire a craving. For example, thoughts of the beach may include visions of a cold Corona because of its commercials.

Meow Mix cat food likely chose its name because cats meow when hungry, Jonah says. And when they do, cat owners receive a subtle reminder of the Meow Mix brand.

Takeaway: Examine your target audience’s environment and study what they see, hear and smell on a regular basis. If you find a trigger relevant to your brand, attempt to link to it.

Men and women or adults and children, for example, will experience environments differently and develop different triggers.